JOINING a Saturday fitness class followed by a Sunday cycle while spending the rest of the week on the sofa, might not seem like a recipe for good health.
But “weekend warriors” who cram their weekly exercise into one or two days, gain similar health benefits compared to those who spread it out, new research suggests.
1
Compared with inactive people, those concentrating their activity showed similarly lower risks over 200 conditions, from heart disease to mood disorders.
“I think this is empowering,” said Dr Shaan Khurshid, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, who led the study.
“It shows that, in terms of health benefits, it’s really the volume of physical activity rather than the pattern that matters.
“The key is, however, you are going to get that volume, do it in the way that works for you,” she told the Guardian.
The NHS recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week to keep healthy.
As a rule of thumb, the border between moderate and vigorous exercise is when it becomes too difficult to finish spoken sentences while exercising.
This includes speed walking, water aerobics, a dance class and cycling.
It says adults should aim to spread exercise evenly over four to five days a week, or every day.
But busy weekdays mean some people are only able to exercise one or two days a week.
Health experts have previously warned that weekend warriors risk injury by overstraining unconditioned muscles and ligaments.
A previous study in 2017, by Gary O’Donovan, a researcher at Loughborough University, found that weekend warriors and regular exercisers who met activity targets had lower death rates from cancer or heart disease compared to sedentary people
The new research published in the journal Circulation showed the total amount of exercise matters more than following an even pattern of physical activity.
To find out if weekend workouts are as beneficial as regular exercise during the week, the researchers looked at data from 89,573 people from the UK Biobank, a database which holds medical and lifestyle records of more than half a million Britons.
Those taking part wore activity trackers and were classed as weekend warriors, regular or inactive, based on their weekly movement.
SLASHES RISK OF DIABETES
The team said that compared to no exercise, cramming workouts in one to two days or being active throughout the week were both associated with “substantially lower risks of over 200 diseases”.
Analysis showed those who exercised regularly during the week had a 28 per cent lower list of developing high blood pressure while those who were active only at the weekends at a 23 per cent lower risk.
For diabetes, the risk was 43 per cent lower for weekend warriors and 46 per cent lower for those who exercised during the week, the researchers said.
Dr Khurshid said: “Our findings were consistent across many different definitions of weekend warrior activity, as well as other thresholds used to categorise people as active.
“Because there appears to be similar benefits for weekend warrior versus regular activity, it may be the total volume of activity, rather than the pattern, that matters most.”
He said further research is needed to understand more about the effectiveness of being weekend warriors.
Other ways to live a healthy lifestyle
Alongside regular exercise, the NHS recommends the following:
Keep to a healthy weight
If you’re overweight or obese you’re at higher risk of developing serious health problems.
Make sure you get enough sleep
Getting enough sleep helps the body repair itself, can help you maintain a healthy weight, improve brain function and mood, and help you make good decisions and avoid injuries.
Eat well
Eating a healthy, balanced diet gives you the energy you need to keep active throughout the day and the nutrients you need for growth and repair. It can also help to prevent diet-related illness.
Stick to alcohol guidelines
Guidelines recommend men and women drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week to keep health risks low.
Quit smoking
Quitting smoking can reduce your risk of disease and can even add up to 10 years to your life expectancy.
